About

What is HEdNI?

This is a space where home educators can share support and information, meet and enjoy this vibrant community. We promote and support the home education community, helping home educators to help each other. From facebook groups to sports days, outings to exam advice - somebody within the community can help with most things!

HEdNI is an inclusive group, welcoming those of all backgrounds, religious beliefs, races and cultures. As an organisation, HEdNI does not promote any one method of home-educating; rather it supports the rights of families to choose for themselves what suits them best.

It all began with the setting up of a yahoo group in 2003, by a group of home educators who saw a need for good online information about home education in Northern Ireland. The website was first set up in 2004 to provide information, support and a way for those interested in home education to contact others. In 2014 we expanded the website to include news, blogs and forums.

Recently HEdNI has been involved in co-ordinating the response to the consultation on the Draft Policy on Elective Home Education published by the five Boards. HEdNI believes that it is crucial that the Boards act only within their legal powers, and respect the essential role of parents in their children's education. Parents are the best advocate for their children, and the best judge of their child's wellbeing, education and needs.

HEdNI is a loose association of individual families and the groups they run, an umbrella under which we can all meet and work together. We canvas opinion as widely as we can before taking any action and we welcome all opinion and input from home educating families. We never claim to represent or negotiate on behalf of our members and certainly not for all home educators in Northern Ireland. The only person who can speak for you is you, so get involved!

We believe strongly in the value of peer support both in the every day provision of excellent education for our children and in dealing with any official concerns, however remember that we are your peers and not lawyers or profession educational consultants. We advise all home educators to do their research, decide for themselves and never hesitate to seek professional advice where it is needed.